Pelt fleshing machine

ABSTRACT

A pelt fleshing machine used in preliminary processing of peltries in which there is provided a skin holder, a carriage moving over frame guides along the holder, and a cutting tool connected with an electric motor mounted on the carriage. The cutting tool is defined by two discs located on a spindle and provided with strings or flexible elements. The strings are longitudinally spring-loaded at one end, with one of the discs being installed on the spindle with a provision for turning with relation to the other disc, and locked against movement along the spindle.

United States Patent 1 Pavlov et al.

[ 1 Nov. 6, 1973 PELT FLESHING MACHINE Inventors: Jury Vasilievich Pavlov, Ramensky Filed:

raion, Rodniki, Trudovaya ulitsa, kv. 12; Alexandr Alexeevich Petrov, Ramensky raion, Rodniki, ulitsa B. Uchitelskaya, 9, kv. 55; Viktor Alexandrovich Nikolsky, ulitsa Fabrichnaya, 21, kv. l2; Raisa lvanovna Chunyaeva, Ljuberetsky raion, poselok Malakhovka, ulitsa Schorsa, kv. 21, all of Moskovskaya oblasti, U.S.S.R,; Leonid Alexandrovich Filin, deceased, late of Zheleznodorozhnaya, 25, kv. 39, Moskovskaya oblasti, U.S.S.R. by Svetlana lvanovna Bulaeva, administratrix Feb. 24, 1972 Appl. No.: 228,925

Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 2, 1971 U.S.S.R 1622318 [51] Int. Cl Cl4b 1/36 [58] Field of Search 69/46, 20, 37, 40, 69/42 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1958 Frank et al. 69/20 8/1962 Browning 69/46 Primary ExaminerAlfred R. Guest Att0rneyHolman & Stern [57] ABSTRACT A pelt fleshing machine used in preliminary processing of peltries in which there is provided a skin holder, a carriage moving over frame guides along the holder, and a cutting tool connected with an electric motor mounted on the carriage. The cutting tool is defined by two discs located on a spindle and. provided with strings or flexible elements. The strings are longitudinally spring-loaded at one end, with one of the discs being installed on the spindle with a provision for turning with relation to the other disc, and locked against movement along the spindle.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented Nov. 6, 1973 FIE! PELT FLESHING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to devices for removing remaining flesh and fat from the pelts of minks, foxes, polar foxes, sables and other animals during a preliminary processing of peltries and can be widely used both in fur breeding and hunting.

PRIOR ART Known in the art is a pelt fleshing machine (see, for example, US. Pat. No. 3048995 Cl.6946,). This device comprises a conical skin holder rotatable around its axis on a frame and a carriage moving over the frame guides along the skin holder and carrying an electric motor connected to a cutting tool which is in the form of two discs secured on a spindle and provided with strings serving to cut off fat and remaining flesh.

However, after the pelts are processed by the known device, the flesh of said pelts is covered with up to percent of fat which has to be removed manually; in addition, 8 to percent of the pelts have to be rejected due to baring and crushing of the hair sacs which results in the hairs falling out of the pelt. (Hair slipping). The hair sacs are crushed by a considerable pressure of the string on the pelt, with the value of said pressure being impossible to control because of the varying contact surface between the string and the pelt.

' For example, during processing of a pelt placed on the conical holder, the string-to-pelt contact area is increased 5-6 times when the cutting tool moves from the thinner end of the holder to its thicker end; as a result, at a constant force applied to the cutting tool, the pressure on the contact surface between the string and the pelt diminishes and the standard of removing fat is impaired. Therefore, the operator has to press the cutting tool against the pelt with a stronger force while the carriage moves along the holder, and this force being is difficult to calculate.

As a rule, the hair slipping defect cannot be detected during the preliminary processing of the skins and is revealed only during the final treatment of peltries at fur factories.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a pelt fleshing machine wherein the pressure on the string-topelt contact surface is maintained automatically.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pelt fleshing machine wherein the cutting force is adjusted automatically.

In accordance with these and other objects there is provided a pelt fleshing machining comprising a conical skin holder secured in a frame rotatably around its axis and a carriage moving over the frame guides along the holder and carrying an electric motor connected with a cutting tool defined by two discs secured on a spindle and provided with strings serving to cut off fat and flesh in which, according to the invention, the strings are longitudinally spring-loaded at one end and one of the discs is installed on the spindle with a provision for turning relative to the other disc and is locked to prevent its movement along the spindle.

Owing to the fact that the end of each string is springloaded at one side, the pressure on the surface of the string-to-pelt contact is automatically maintained constant because a change in the pressure of the string on the pelt deforms the springs and changes both the string camber and, as a consequence, the contact surface (the angle of contact between the string and the holder). An increase in the string pressure increases the contact surface and vice versa so that the pressure at each contact point remains constant, ensuring a high standard of flesh defatting and preventing the crushing of the hair sacs.

Installation of one of the cutting tool discs on the spindle with a provision for turning relative to the other disc and locking this disc against movement along the spindle ensures an automatic adjustment of the cutting force. When the resistance to cutting grows on the flesh surfaces covered with a thick layer of fat or tissues, the disc turns on the spindle, the strings are set to an inclined position due to the deformation of the springs, with the angle between the strings and the skin surface increasing and the process of cutting is facilitated because the cutting acquires a sliding nature which calls for a smaller force, thus ruling out tearing of the tissues from the hair roots and their baring.

For the spring-loading of the strings one of the discs can be defined by a flat spring with elongated radial tongues, with the strings being fastened to the ends of said tongues.

It is practicable that the spring-loaded sides of the strings should be made of a cable-reinforced plastic and have a crosssectional area in the form of a star.

The provision of strings of plastics (polypyropylene, polyethylene) ensures efficient removal of fat without under cutting of flesh and crushing of the hair sacs while reinforcement of the string with a cable improves considerably its strength and durability.

The star-shaped cross-section of the string ensures the required cutting angle and increases the number of cutting edges, thereby prolonging the sevice life of the string.

Thus, the pelt fleshing machine according to the invention, features apart from the above-mentioned advantages over the known devices, a number of merits which guarantee its successful employment in fur breeding. These merits are high efficiency and ease of operation, since any operator, even not highly skilled in defatting skins, but using the device according to the invention will clean successfully the skin flesh without damaging the pelts.

Now the invention will be described in detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view in elevation of the pelt fleshing machine according to the: invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in longitudinal section of the cutting tool;

FIG. 3 is a top view partly broken away of the cutting tool;

FIG. 4 is a cross section of the string.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The pelt fleshing machine consists of a frame 1 (FIG. 1), a carriage 2 provided with an electric motor 3, a

cutting tool 4, and a conical skin holder 5.

The frame comprises guides 6 for the movement of the carriage 2 which has wheels 7 rolling over the upper surface of the guides 6, and rolls 8 rolling over the lower surfaces of the guides to prevent the carriage from leaving the guides 6.

The conical holder is secured on the frame 1 in bearings and is capable of being turned around its own axis 0 O by means of any conventional drive.

The electric motor 3 is operably connected with the cutting tool 4 which is constituted by a hollow spindle 9 (FIG. 2) carrying discs 10, 100 at the ends thereof. The disc 10 is rigidly secured to the spindle 9 while the disc 10a is mounted on a bearing 11 installed on the spindle 9 to allow the disc 10a to turn relative to the disc 10. The disc 10a disc is held against longitudinal displacement because the bearing 11 is held in place by a shoulder or collar 12 on the spindle 9.

Strings or other flexible elements 13 are stretched between the discs 10, 10a and the latter have slots 14 accommodating the strings 13 which have heads 15 mm at the ends, with the heads bearing against the discs 10.

The strings 13 are longitudinally spring-loaded at one end. The springs may be ofa coil type (not shown in the drawing) for passing the strings therethrough. One end of each spring must bear against the string head 15 while the other end must bear against the disc 10; as an alternative, the disc 10 can be defined by a flat spring with elongated radial tongues 16 (FIG. 3) whose ends are provided with the slots 14 used for fastening the strings 13.

The spring-loaded strings 13 are made of cablereinforced plastic 17 (FIG. 4), e.g. polypropylene, which rules out breaking and loosening of flesh and have a star-shaped cross section (FIG. 4) which increases the cutting power of the strings.

The device according to the invention operates as follows:

The pelt is placed over the conical holder 5, flesh side out, and is fastened thereto by the tail and the hind legs. Then the electric motor 3 and the drive of the holder 5 (not shown in the drawing) are activated. The rotating cutting tool 4 is brought to the pelt by lifting a handle 18 installed on the electric motor 3 and the operator presses the cutting tool 4 against the pelt with a certain effort. The strings 13 of the cutting tool come in contact with the skin and the operator moves the carriage 2 with the cutting tool 4 over the guides 6 along the holder 5.

The strings 13 upon coming in contact with the pelt remove the layer of fat and remaining meat. When pressure of the cutting tool on the pelt is increased, the strings are deflected, with this deflection being, for example, 18 mm at a cutting tool diameter of 130 mm, a speed of 920 rpm, string length 175 mm, number of strings l2 and a pressure of 5 kg. At the moment of string deflection (in FIG. 2 shown by dotted lines, the holder being moved towards the cutting tool for clarity) the tongues 16 of the disc 10 bend, increasing the string-to-pelt contact surface which means that pressure on the string-to-pelt contact surface is controlled automatically. When the string-to-pelt contact surface increases, and when the specific resistance to cutting increases (if the pelt flesh adheres to the muscular tissues) the force required for cutting with the string also increases. In this case the disc 10 mounted on the bearing 11 turns with relation to the disc 10 rigidly secured on the spindle 9, with the string becoming inclined to the axis of the holder 5 and removing fat with a sliding motion. The cutting force diminishes. Thus, the cutting force is adjusted automatically which prevents tearing of tissues from the hair roots and their baring.

What is claimed is:

1. A pelt fleshing machine comprising a frame, a conical pelt holder mounted in the frame for rotation about its own axis, guides on the frame, a carriage movable along the guides relative to the pelt holder, an electric motor on the carriage, a cutting tool, operatively connected to the electric motor, said cutting too] including a spindle, two discs mounted on the spindle in axially spaced relationship, strings serving for cutting off fat and remaining meat, means securing the strings to said two discs, means mounting one of the discs on the spindle for turning movement relative to the other disc, further means cooperable with said one disc preventing displacement of said one disc along the spindle, means fixedly securing the other disc to the spindle, and means spring loading one end of each of said strings longitudinally for increasing the string to pelt contact surface, the arrangement being such that if pressure of the cutting tool on the pelt is increased, the spring loading means reacts for increasing the string to pelt contact surface automatically and if the force required for cutting increases, said one disc turns on the spindle relative to the other disc so that the strings are inclined to the axis of the pelt holder for removing fat with a sliding motion whereby the cutting force is adjusted automatically.

2. The pelt fleshing machine as claimed in claim 4 in which the spring loading means includes said other disc, said other disc being defined by a flat spring provided with elongated radial tongues to each of which, one end of each string is secured.

3. The pelt fleshing machine as claimed in claim 1 in which each string is of cable-reinforced plastic and has a star-shaped cross section for increasing the cutting action of the strings. 

1. A pelt fleshing machine comprising a frame, a conical pelt holder mounted in the frame for rotation about its own axis, guides on the frame, a carriage movable along the guides relative to the pelt holder, an electric motor on the carriage, a cutting tool, operatively connected to the electric motor, said cutting tool including a spindle, Two discs mounted on the spindle in axially spaced relationship, strings serving for cutting off fat and remaining meat, means securing the strings to said two discs, means mounting one of the discs on the spindle for turning movement relative to the other disc, further means cooperable with said one disc preventing displacement of said one disc along the spindle, means fixedly securing the other disc to the spindle, and means spring loading one end of each of said strings longitudinally for increasing the string to pelt contact surface, the arrangement being such that if pressure of the cutting tool on the pelt is increased, the spring loading means reacts for increasing the string to pelt contact surface automatically and if the force required for cutting increases, said one disc turns on the spindle relative to the other disc so that the strings are inclined to the axis of the pelt holder for removing fat with a sliding motion whereby the cutting force is adjusted automatically.
 2. The pelt fleshing machine as claimed in claim 4 in which the spring loading means includes said other disc, said other disc being defined by a flat spring provided with elongated radial tongues to each of which, one end of each string is secured.
 3. The pelt fleshing machine as claimed in claim 1 in which each string is of cable-reinforced plastic and has a star-shaped cross section for increasing the cutting action of the strings. 